JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4 REVIEW

"All in all, the first four John Wick movies make a pretty decent franchise."

I have such a strange history with the John Wick franchise, I almost need to talk about that before I get into the fourth installment. You see, I ended up not being able to make the press screening of the original movie, and by the time I saw it in theaters, it had been so hyped up, there was no way it could possibly live up to that. I had problems with the second chapter as well (mainly due to very odd New York City geography). But then Chapter 3 came along with that very strange subtitle, and that’s when I was fully on board. 

By the third film, director Chad Stahelski had fully immersed Keanu Reeves’ character in the world-building that was the network of assassins, who have all been after him for the insane bounty that just keeps growing with each movie. That’s the same for Chapter 4, but after a quizzical bit with Wick racing through the desert in search of something that can help get the bounty off his head – I’ll admit that I didn’t rewatch any of the previous movies before seeing this, which may have been a mistake – we return to the Continental in New York City where Ian McShane’s manager Winston has been informed that it’s been decommissioned by someone referred to as “Marquis” of “The High Table” that runs the network of assassins.They’ve been thoroughly embarrassed by Wick’s actions, and everyone involved with helping him is going to pay. Wick himself is still on the run, but he shows up at the Osaka Continental run by Shimazu (Hiroyuki Sanada) and his daughter Akira (pop singer Rina Sawayama) with two enigmatic killers on his tail, Donnie Yen’s Caine and Shamier Anderson’s Tracer. Eventually, he encounters the Marquis (Bill Skarsgård), and challenges him to a duel that might get him released from the contract on his head.

Although Stahelski continues to build on the world-building from the last few movies, there’s something about this franchise that seems to be going down a similar path as the James Bond movies in terms of taking the central character to all sorts of exotic international places, but also maintaining some level of formula to “give the people what they want.” In the case of Chapter 4, those places include Japan, Berlin, and ultimately, France, where Stahelski, his stunt coordinator and the stunt team make sure to escalate the action around some of the most recognizable landmarks. Formula isn’t always a bad thing – I have always loved the Bond movies, even some of the ones people don’t like, and it’s proven to be a great fit for Reeves. 

That said, Reeves himself doesn’t seem nearly in love with his character anymore. Outside of the terrific action sequences, he doesn’t seem to really give much in terms of performance. Part of that might be what seems like a weaker script and dialogue to me, or maybe he just prefers having John Wick be a man of few words. (Of note is that original screenwriter Derek Kolstad doesn’t seem to be involved with this fourth installment.)

Unfortunately, the world-building aspects of John Wick means there’s a ton of exposition and discussions in the movie about what Wick should do to save himself, and those moments definitely slow the pace down to an uncomfortable level. That’s somewhat of a problem, since Chapter 4 is nearly three hours long, and while having that much intense action all the way through might be too much, even for the most diehard of action stans, having pacing issues so early on might not help matters.

There was a lot about Chapter 4 that really blew me away, and one thing it really has going for it is the supporting cast around Reeves, from Yen, who steals almost every action scene, but his face-offs with Wick are absolutely killer. I’ve only recently become familiar with Anderson from his brilliant Hulu film, Bruiser, but he’s also another standout, whether during the action or as we learn more about him. (He also uses a dog similar to Halle Berry’s character in Chapter 3, which made me wonder if there was some relation there.) I also liked the relationships between Sanada (who appeared with Reeves in 47 Ronin) and Sawayama, who I only know vaguely from her music, but she does a fine job with her very first film role, one that requires her to be a part of the action.

On the other hand, I’ve never been much of a fan of Scott Adkins – his very presence in a movie worries me – but he shows up in the entirely unrecognizable role of Killa, a large man with gold teeth, who would have fit just as well in a Bond villain as the heavy. The fact that I didn’t recognize Adkins and loved his performance, both in the character he creates and his fight with Wick in a Berlin nightclub. This movie gets points for me appreciating Adkins more than I ever have in the past.

But let’s face it, most people going to see this movie will be there for the action scenes, and Chapter 4 more than delivers, whether it’s the insane firefight in the Osaka Continental or Wick’s fight on a seemingly endless stairwell leading up to the final feud. I wouldn’t say the movie has a ton of humor or jokes to elevate one’s enjoyment – it may have felt forced, if there was – but it’s nothing if not thoroughly entertaining, especially when watching Reeves take on a legend like Donnie Yen. Even with the pacing issues, Stahelski still knows how to wow viewers with the innovative use of weapons and action to give Wick its own inimitable style from other action movies. Maybe it’s my background writing for Below the Line, but the crafts work on the film is also impeccable, particularly the work done by Stahelski’s production designer and cinematographer to make every space look unique.

Avoiding spoilers, I’m not sure I liked how Chapter 4 ended, and I’m wondering if others might feel the same way. (Apparently, there is a scene at the end of the credits, which I missed but knows what happens, just not sure if it’s something to set up one of the spin-offs or what.)

All in all, the first four John Wick movies make a pretty decent franchise that is already clearly branching out into other places, which will hopefully continue to include Reeves, since he feels more crucial than some of the subsidiary characters.

Rating: 7.5/10

John Wick Chapter 4 opens nationwide on Friday, March 24.